A Writer’s Journal

Thursday, September 7. 2017 Last Day of Full Moon Neptune Retrograde Uranus Retrograde Cloudy and muggy

Yesterday was the annual rental inspection; guy was in and out in five minutes. The town checks to make sure there aren’t illegal additions, too many people living in the structure, and to make sure all the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors work.

Ran to PetSmart to get cat food, and managed to get back before the storms hit. We had a whole day of thunder storms and torrential rains. Nothing as bad as what the hurricane recipients are going through with Harvey and Irma, of course, but enough so I was glad I could stay home.

I wrote, and I finished reading the assignment and taking notes for the review. The review goes out today.

The literary fiction piece is interesting. Slower to write than the genre work, because the structure is different. In fact, I’m still figuring out the structure. I’m still considering writing the first draft (which I’m doing in longhand) with each point of view in a notebook. Initially, I thought I’d write all of one section in one POV, then the next section, covering the same time, in the next POV, then switch back. Now I’m wondering if I should write the POVs simultaneously, but in different books, and then decide how I want to mix and match the entries. I was worried that doing so from the start wouldn’t let me go deep enough into either point of view, but now it feels like it should be more call and respond. Also, because I don’t know how it will end — although I’ve got a rough outline and know the points I plan to hit through the book — it’s truly written with a sense of discovery. Who knows if anything submittable will come of it, but the process is teaching me a lot.

However, I can’t drop the ball on any of the other projects, just because this one intrigues me.

I didn’t get anywhere near enough writing done last weekend, so I have to make up for it. And this week is nearly gone.

My best friend from college has decided he wants to write a novel, and he wants advice. I’m happy to help him however I can. I think it’s a good choice for him.

My mom has a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, so I’m trying to get everything I need to get done DONE this morning, and then take reading and writing with me while I wait in the office.

I can’t believe tomorrow is Friday. It feels like it should be Monday.

The Executive office of Verizon Wireless is just as stupid and deliberately vicious as the Customer Dis-service Representatives. Figures — the top always trickles down. It explains a lot. It’s still not acceptable.

On a happier note, went to Market Basket for the first time yesterday. It is an amazing grocery store. Huge, good quality, great prices. It’s quite a drive, but well worth it. I restocked quite a bit. Wow. Just wow. I was ready to set up a cot and move in.

Got a different type of cat litter at PetSmart — hopefully this will solve our kitty litter dilemma. Now, don’t get me wrong, the CATS have handled this all well. But the Feline Pine hasn’t been clumping well lately, and the Arm & Hammer we tried is just awful. I get disgusted looks and vocal complaints from the cats, but they’re still using the box. Hopefully, this other type of pine clumping litter will work and they’ll be happier.

Also fell in LOVE with an eight year old male brown tabby. The lease only allows three cats here, and we have three, but I’m talking him up, hoping someone I know will adopt him. He’s a unique cat and deserves a good home.

Got some work done yesterday, but not enough (it’s never enough lately), and I’m slowly, but surely working through the galleys for the anthology. Still struggling with the introduction, trying to get the right tone.

At least the research for the aviation project is going well.

I’m ripping apart the harpy book again and attacking it from a different perspective. This last revision was necessary to narrow the focus; however, I felt I took it too far into an urban fantasy procedural direction, and I’m losing the bigger social justice scope that’s the real heart of the book. POWER OF WORDS is pulling at me, too, and demanding some attention. I’m feeling creatively flat at the moment, too many “shoulds”, not enough “want tos”. I need a few days to let the creativity soar. I’m hoping the writer’s conference in two weeks will give me a good shot at that.

Need to get a lot of work done, and, hopefully, get to go out with friends tonight. Taking Costume Imp to breakfast at Daily Paper this morning — always fun.

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NMLC’s Mermaid Ball August 11, 2017

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GWEN FINNEGAN MYSTERIES

Archaeologist Dr. Gwen Finnegan is on the hunt for her lover’s killer. Historical researcher Justin Yates bumps into her, on the steps of the New York Public Library. The shy historian, frustrated with his failing relationship, jumps at the chance to join her on a real adventure through Europe, pursued by factions including Gwen’s ex-lover and nemesis, Karl, as they try to unspool fact from fiction in a multi-generational obsession with a statue of the goddess Medusa.
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NAUTICAL NAMASTE MYSTERIES

SAVASANA AT SEA

Yoga instructor Sophie Batchelder jumps at the chance to teach on a cruise ship when she loses her job and her boyfriend dumps her in the same day. But when her boss is murdered, and the crew thinks she's taking over her predecessor's blackmail scheme, Sophie must figure out who the real killer is -- before he turns her into a corpse, too. A Not-Quite-Cozy Mystery.
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COVENTINA CIRCLE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

PLAYING THE ANGLES
Witchcraft, politics, and theatre collide as Morag D’Anneville and Secret Service agent Simon Keane fight to protect the Vice President of the United States -- or is it Morag who needs Simon’s protection more than the VP?
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THE JAIN LAZARUS ADVENTURES

Hex Breaker by Devon Ellington. A Jain Lazarus Adventure. Hex Breaker Jain Lazarus joins the crew of a cursed film, teaming with tough, practical Detective Wyatt East on an adventure fighting zombies, ceremonial magicians, the town wife-beater, the messenger of the gods, and their own pasts.
Available from Solstice Publishing and Amazon Kindle.
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Full Circle: An Ars Concordia Anthology. Edited by Colin Galbraith. My story is “Pauvre Bob”, set at Arlington Race Track in Illinois is included in this wonderful collection of short stories and poetry. You can download it free here.